The British-Irish Council
Earlier this week, there was a little-reported meeting of the virtually unknown British-Irish Council. This was the first meeting of the Council since the restoration of the Northern Ireland Executive and the first time it has ever been held in the Stormont Parliament.
But what is the British-Irish Council and what does it do?
The British-Irish Council was established under Strand Three of the Agreement reached in Belfast on Good Friday on 10 April, 1998 ‘to promote the harmonious and mutually beneficial development of the totality of relationships among the peoples of these islands.’
The Council was established on 2 December 1999 on the entry into force of the British-Irish Agreement, which was signed by the British and Irish Governments as part of the Good Friday Agreement on 8 March 1999.
Membership of the Council comprises representatives of the Irish and British Governments and of the devolved administrations in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, together with representatives of the Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey.
The British-Irish Council works as a forum within which Members consult and exchange information with a view to co-operating on issues of mutual interest within their respective competences. The BIC meets regularly in various formats to review areas of common interest and use best endeavours to reach agreement on co-operation within the competence of the Member Administrations. However, the BIC does not have any legislative or regulatory remit in regard to these areas.
If you want to know more, there’s an FAQ section on the Council’s web site.
Admit it – the things you learn from this blog ….